Trouser leg length adjuster



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United States Patent O 3,328,809 TRGUSER LEG LENGTH ADJUSTER Rosemary Payne, New York, and Sanford Firestone, Brooklyn, NX., assignors to Rosida Corp, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 430,558 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-269) This invention relates generally to the art of manufacturing fabrics such as used in making trousers, dresses, drapes and the like and more particularly to an improved cuff construction or hem construction and the method of making the same.

The practice of selling trousers, dresses and other articles of wearing apparel and drapes of a certain length slightly longer than the actual length of the legs or body of the wearer or of the length of the window to be fitted so as to permit the wearer readily to adjust the length of the trouser leg or dress to the actual size of the wearer, or to permit the operator to adjust the length of the drape to fit the lwindow has become very prevalent, with the result that some ready means must be provided for correcting the length to fit the actual size of the legs or body of the wearer or length of the window to be fitted.

With this in mind, a prime object of the present invention is to provide a pair of trousers, a dress, a drape or the like with an annular fabric member composed of tacky material on the inner surface of the bottom eX- tremity of the trouser leg, dress, drape or the like, with one long edge of the annular member, the top edge, attached to the material of the trouser leg, dress or drape by a line of stitching, the other edge being unattached, the body of the member being unattached so as to initially and readily form a cuff or hem on the inside of the trouser leg, dress or drape in order to shorten the length thereof, said cuff or hem being readily let out or disassembled so as subsequently to adjust the length of the trouser leg, dress or drape to accommodate growth of the wearer or to accommodate different size windows.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of forming a cuff or hem on an article of wearing apparel or drape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a type of cuff or hem on an article of wearing apparel or drape that is readily let out or disassembled in order to lengthen the article or drape, to accommodate growth of the wearer or different size windows.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cuff or hem on a trouser leg, dress or drape that is easily let out without the use of extraneous tools.

Still another object is to provide means for adjusting the lengths of trouser legs, dresses, drapes and the like.

For further comprehension of the invention and the objects and advantages thereof, reference Will -be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the front of a fragment of a pair of trousers showing a step in the preparation of a cuff structure embodying one forni of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottom of the up ended leg shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the end of the trouser leg turned in.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the trouser leg of FIG. 4 showing the final step in the preparation of the cuff structure.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the completed cuff structure embodying said one form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. 4 of the form of invention shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8A is a View similar to FIG. 6 showing the completed modified form.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8A but showing a step in detaching the lining and insert from the material of the trouser leg for adjustment purposes.

FIG. l0 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of another step in preparing the adjusted culir structure parts being shown broken away. i

FIG. 10A is a similar view of the next step in the preparation.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of the completed adjusted cuir structure.

FIG. 12 is a View similar to FIG. 6 of a cuff structure embodying still another modified form of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a similar view of yet a further modified form of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a dress embodying still another modified form of the invention, the bottom end edge of the skirt being shown up ended.

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of a drape embodying yet another modified form of the invention, the drape being shown on a supporting rod with its bottom end edge upturned.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawings, in FIG. 1 a fragment of a pair of fabric trousers 10 embodying one form of the invention is shown. The trousers has a waist portion 12, two legs 14, 14 and a fly portion 16. Loops 1S to receive a belt are suitably Iiastened to the top of the waist portion. The legs are shown with permanent creases 20 formed therein. The legs are purposely made of a length to accommodate various sized legs of the wearer.

In accordance with the invention, both legs 14, 14 are formed at their extreme bottom ends, on the inner surface thereof, with a fabric lining in the form of an elongated rectangular narrow tape 22. The tape lining is coated on both surfaces with tacky substance 24. One long edge of the tape, the bottom edge, as viewed in FIG. 2, is attached to the fabric material of the leg of the trousers, by a line of stitching 26, with its ends 28, 28 in overlapped relation. The remainder of the body of the tape is unattached, as best seen in FIG. 3.

In order to form a cuff structure on the inner side of the trouser leg, a portion of the bottom extremity of the trouser leg including the lining 22 is manually turned inside the body of the leg to the positon shown in FIG. 4 whereby the lining is interposed between the inner portion 36 of the trouser leg and the outer portion 32 thereof as shown in FIG. 4. The tacky lining strip 22 is now in position to be attached to the inner surface of the outer portion 32 of the leg. This step is accomplished by means of applying heat and pressure to the outer surface of the outer portion 32, preferably by ironing with a steam ironing device 34 as shown in FIG. y5.

The completed cuff structure is shown on the inside of the trouser leg 14 as indicated at 36 in FIG. 6, wherein the bottom end edge of the trouser leg is looped as indicated at 38 with the lining strip 22 releasably attached and sealed to the inner sur-face of the Imaterial of the trouser leg by tacky substance 24 oozed from lining strip 22 and releasably attached and sealed to the inner surface of the inner portion 30 by the same tacky substance 24. The trouser leg is now of the proper length for initial wearing.

When owing lto growth, it is necessary to lengthen the trouser legs, it is merely necessary to release the lining strip 22 by resteam ironing the lining strip 22 and the material of the trouser leg as shown in FIG. 9, whereupon the lining can become unattached from the trouser leg material and dropped downwardly along the material of the trouser leg to the desired point therealong, whereupon it is again attached to the material of the trouser leg by the tacky substance 2.4 by means of the ironing device 34 thereby lengthening the leg to accommodate the growth of the wearer. It is noted that the effect of the resteam ironing tends to keep the tacky substance 24 on the lining strip 22, thereby leaving the trouser leg where the cuff was previously attached free of tacky substance 24.

In FIGS. 7 to 11, inclusive, fa cuff structure 36 made in accordance with a modified form of the invention is shown. Herein an elongated rectangular strip 40' of material -having properties making it non-adhering to adhesive is inserted between the tacky lining tape 22 and the material of the trouser leg 14. When in making a cuff, the bottom end of the trouser leg 14', the tape 22' and insert strip 49 as a unit are turned inside the leg as shown in FIG. 8, the lining tape 22 and strip 40 are in position between the inner portion 30 of the trouser leg and the `outer portion 32 so that the tape 22' may be attached and sealed to the inner surface of the outer portion 32 by heat and pressure by means of the ironing device 34 shown in FIG. 5. This attaching and sealing operation of tape 22 to the outer surface 32 produces the completed cuff structure shown in FIG. 8A. The trouser legs are now of the proper length for initial wearing.

When it is desired to lengthen the trouser leg 14', it is merely necessary to release the lining strip 22" manually by inserting a finger of the operator between the strip and the material of the trouser leg outer portion 32' as shown in FIG. 9, whereupon the strip 32 is then unattached from the inner surface of portion 32 and may be dropped downwardly to the position shown in FIG. l0. When in this position, the insert 40 may be removed manually as shown in FIG. l0. The next step is to swing the strip 22' outwardly of the end of the trouser leg 14 as shown in FIG. A. With the strip 22 in this position, the -bottom end of the trouser leg with the strip attached is folded inwardly of the trouser leg to the position shown in FIG. ll with the outer surface of the strip 22' in engagement with the inner surface of the trouser leg 14. Finally heat and pressure is applied to the outer surface of the bottom of the trouser leg by the ironing device 34 as shown in FIG. 5 thereby attaching yand sealing the strip 22 to the inner surface of the trouserleg forming the finished and completed cuff 36 shown in FIG. l1. The leg has been lengthened to accommodate the growth of the wearer.

In FIG. l2, another modified form 0f cuff 36a is shown. The cuff 36a differs from the cuff 36 of FIG. 6 merely in that a eXible member such as a string 44 is interposed in looped condition between the strip 22a and the inner surface of the outer portion 32a of the trouser leg 14a. One loop 46 of the string is exposed above the cuff structure to facilitate grasping by the fingers of the operator as shown. When it is desired to let out the cufrr structure for the purpose of lengthening the trouser leg, it is merely necessary to pull upwardly on the string whereupon the strip 22a will become separated from the inner surface of the outer portion 32a whereupon the cuff structure can be made further down the trouser leg.

The modified form of cuff structure 36x shown in FIG. 13 differs from the form of cuff structure 36 shown in FIG. 6 merely in that a lug or tab 46 is formed integrally with the top edge of the strip 22x in order to facilitate pulling the strip away from the inner surface of the outer portion 32x of the trouser leg 14x, in order to let out the cuff structure for adjusting the length of the trouser leg.

In FIG. 14, a dress 47 including waist portion 48 and skirt portion 50 is shown made in accordance with another modified form of the invention. In this dress, a hem 36"' is formed along the bottom end edge of the skirt portion 50 which hem is similar in construction to the cuff structure 36 shown in FIG, 6 including inner and outer hem portions 30' and 32"', respectively, with a tacky strip 22" inserted therebetween, the upper edge of the strip being stitched to the edge of the inner portion 30 and the body thereof being releasably attached and sealed by adhesive to the outer surface 32 of the skirt portion 50. The skirt portion may be lengthened similarly'to the operation of lengthening the trouser leg 14.

FIG. l5 illustrates a drape 54 slidably supported on a rod 56. The bottom end edge of the body of the drape is formed with a hem 36aa similar in construction to the cuff structure 36 of FIG. 6 including inner and outer hem portions 30ml and 32am, respectively, withV a tacky strip ZZaa inserted therebetween, the upper edge of the strip being stitched to the edge of the inner portion 36cm and the body thereof being releasably attached and sealed to the inner surface of the body of the drape. The body of the drape may be lengthened similarly to the operation of lengthening the trouser leg 14.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Whatis claimed is:

1. An attachment in combination with the bottom end of a trouser leg consisting of an elongated narrow fabric tape of tacky material, juxtaposed along the inner surface of the bottom end edge of the trouser leg, the bottom edge of the tape being stitched to the material of the body of the trouser leg, the remainder of the body of the tape being unattached, and a strip of fabric material having properties making it non-adhering to tacky material, inserted loosely and removably between the tacky tape and the body of the trouser leg.

2. In a pair of trousers, a pair of trouser legs, a releasable interior cufrc structure on the bottom end of each trouser leg, said structure comprising a turned-in portion of the material of the trouser leg body, -a narrow tape of tacky material interposed between the opposed surfaces of the turned-in portion and the body of the trouser leg, said tape stitched at its top edge to the top edge of the turnedin portion, and a strip of fabric material, having properties making it non-adhering to tacky material, inserted between the turned-in portion and the tacky tape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,803,285 4/1931 Peters 161-406X 1,900,900 3/1933 Evans 161-167X 2,435,509 2/1948 Pfeffer et a1 2 143 X 2,526,156 10./1950 Quale 2 243 2,860,081 11/1958 Eiken 2 232 X 2,977,267 3/1961 Douane 161-406 X 3,097,364 7/1963 Hess 2 232 3,163,162 12/1964 Besseches 161-406X 3,168,749 2/1965 con 24-232 X FOREIGN PATENTS 544,119 7/1957 Canada.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, I. R. BOLER, Examiners. 

1. AN ATTACHMENT IN COMBINATION WITH THE BOTTOM END OF A TROUSER LEG CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATED NARROW FABRIC TAPE OF TACKY MATERIAL, JUXTAPOSED ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTOM END EDGE OF THE TROUSER LEG, THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE TAPE BEING STITCHED TO THE MATERIAL OF THE BODY OF THE TROUSER LEG, THE REMAINDER OF THE BODY OF THE TAPE BEING UNATTACHED, AND A STRIP OF FABRIC MATERIAL HAVING PROPERTIES MAKING IT NON-ADHERING TO TACKY MATERIAL, IN- 